Summer beach reads: What’s this year’s ’50 Shades of Grey’?

Last summer, every beach chair was hot with moms smuggling Fifty Shades of Grey into the pool hidden in their towels. Before that, the dirty little secret was the Twilight series.

So, what’s a mom to read in solitude — and then totally deny — this summer?

1. Catch up on your smut and fantasy books. If you haven’t read popular steamy novels like The Bride Stripped Bare by Nikki Gemmell, published in 2003, you may as well now. After all, now that you’ve read about the “red room of pain” and sex with a vampire, what’s left to shock you? This book follows a bride who discovers a secret about her husband on their honeymoon. Find it on Amazon.com for under $6.

2. Try a newer book with good reviews, like “Bared to You,” published last year by Sylvia Day (a New York Times and international bestseller). In fact, read anything by Day. This one’s a bonus if you’re hooked on the trilogy package. Pick up the first in the series at Barnes & Noble for $10.98.

3. Star in your own romance novel.Yournovel.comallows you to pick a category (beaches, vampires, abroad), then pick a filter (wild or mild), add a photo for the cover and provide names and 26 different details about the characters in the book (hair color, favorite perfume, music). Then, Yournovel.com turns it into a hardbound, paperback or e-book.

You might find yourself with your dream lover skinny-dipping in the Caribbean, chasing bad guys on wave-runners or fighting off a cougar in the jungle, before getting frisky in a hammock.

The website offers 47 different titles to choose from. Books start at $43 and go up to nearly $100.

Hint: This would make a great bachelorette or anniversary gift.

Did we mention this company is run by a husband/wife writing team in North Carolina? Oh, and for $100,000, they will write a real personalized book about your romance.

Feeling shy? Don’t want your kids to know what you’re reading? If you aren’t reading on a Kindle (ah, anonymity!), pick up an adorable paperback book cover at Etsy.com for $12. This vinyl cover is durable and decorated with bird silhouettes. When someone asks what you’re reading, you can smile and say, “Oh, it’s Anna Karenina.” Only you and Christian Grey need know the truth.

Aimee's passion for storytelling has brought her around the world as a journalist, writing award-winning articles about health and economic plights in Haiti and Uganda. She is currently a features writer and columnist for the Boulder Daily Camera, a travel contributor to USA Today 10Best.com, the Colorado travel expert for About.com, a blogger for Huffington Post Weird and a regular contributor to other publications, such as SpaTravelGal.com, Fodor's travel books and more. Reach out to her at AimeeHeckel.com, find her travel board on Pinterest, follow her on Twitter, or ping her on Google+.